Covid and the Bread of Life

This sermon can be listened to here

 Gate Pa – August 8 2021

Readings:
Hebrew Scripture:           2 Samuel 18: 5-9, 15, 31-33
Psalm:                             130
Epistle:                            Ephesians 4: 25-5:2         
Gospel:                            John 6: 35, 41-51             

What I want to say:
Note Friday Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony– acknowledge brutality and cost of western war machine
Parts Australia – antilockdown marches
-          Antivaccine sentiment
Quick reading John 6 might support
Explore what the exodus story offers in our understanding of who Jesus is and what Jesus is talking about in John?
The Eucharist is always an enacted sign of the love and regard for community shown by Jesus, not a talisman for personal gain or benefit.
In this sense, it is only like the vaccine in that it exists for the good of the whole community, not ourselves as individuals.
 
What I want to happen:
To explore how else we are fed by the living bread, and what difference that makes
 

The Sermon

1.     Introduction: - Jesus will protect us

Note Friday Hiroshima Peace Memorial – acknowledge brutality and cost of western war machine
-         Join many others around world longing for and maybe working for God’s peace today
 
 
 
Parts Australia – anti-lockdown marches
-         Antivaccine sentiment
ð Jesus is my vaccine
ð Protected by the blood of Jesus
Quick reading John 6 might support
è What does it mean to be fed by bread of life/bread of heaven
 
 
 

2.     New Moses

Many ways John building on story of Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman in John 4
-         Jesus compared with Jacob
-         “Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
This section John set at Passover
begins with Jesus feeding 5000 men and then walking on water
-         Echoes of crossing of Red Sea and feeding people in the wilderness with manna from heaven
-         Reinterprets Exodus story
-         establishing Jesus as new Moses
è what does the exodus story offer in our understanding of who Jesus is and what Jesus is talking about in John?

3.     Exodus

God liberates people of God
-         Not as individuals but as a community
Then in wilderness God teaches this people how to live in the presence of this liberating God
-         What it means to be God’s community
-         Live in response to God’s deep care for them and creation
o   How to live that deep care out for others
-         Given torah
-         By living torah
-         Continuing to live out God’s liberation
o   Not only of them
o   But all people
o   Living covenant of Genesis – Blessed to be a blessing
In John 6, Jesus is building on that
-         Building a new community based on God’s care and liberation
-         Community that bases its life trusting in God’s care and liberation
In light of that what is bread of life/heaven about?

4.     Eucharist

Very basic level this is about holy communion/eucharist
This whole passage – feeding 5000 men
-         Teaching on Jesus being bread from heaven
Close to Lord’s supper as you get in John
-         No lord’s supper in last supper
-         Just foot washing and very long pep talk and prayers
In eucharist God is made tangible once again in bread and wine
Or as one great Franciscan saint, Bonaventure said
God bends down in love and meets us in the bread and wine.
As we hold and touch we are reminded of what Jesus did
-         meals with people not supposed to eat with
-         feeding of large crowds
-         God’s deep care and liberating acts
As we eat the bread and drink the wine we are changed from the inside
Which could sound like those protesters had it right
Except they are far from what this is about
One commentator said
The Eucharist is always an enacted sign of the love and regard for community shown by Jesus, not a talisman for personal gain or benefit.
In this sense, it is only like the vaccine in that it exists for the good of the whole community, not ourselves as individuals.
Eucharist gathers us
Reminds us that we are God’s community
We as God’s community
-         Are changed to be a new community based on God’s care and liberation
-         Community that bases its life trusting in God’s care and liberation
This is eternal life
Not more of the same as now forever – which I hear at too many funerals
But living trusting in God’s care and liberation
-         Now
-         And in all ages.

5.     Questions

All commentators clear John 6 is NOT just about communion
How else are we fed by bread from heaven?
What difference does it make?
 

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